You’d have to look pretty hard at a Thursday news story to realize that it serves as a glaring example of the failure of the anemic brand of cannabis “legalization” represented by I-502 in Washington state.

But once you do take a look, the realization dawns: This is what failed “legalization” looks like.

Local and federal law enforcement officers in Seattle announced the arrests of “more than 90 suspects” in a roundup to discourage street-corner drug deals in the downtown corridor around Third Avenue and Pine Street, reports Kyle Stokes at KPLU.

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmesadmitted that 40 of the suspects were arrested for selling marijuana in “legal” Washington [MyNorthwest.com]

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes — ironically, one of the most vocal and visible of supporters of I-502 — admitted that “nearly 40” of the arrested suspects were busted for selling marijuana in the area.

“This is illegal,” Holmes said, “and it’s not what I-502 promised.” You can say that again, Petey.

But wait, you may be thinking. Didn’t I-502 legalize pot sales in Washjington? No, Grasshopper; you can only sell weed if you’re one of the fortunate few with money to bribe officials, I mean invest in operations, and lucky enough to win the lottery drawing for one of the few licenses available in the state (all are currently taken).

But weren’t we told that legalization would basically upend the black market by providing a superior product at better prices? Guess that part’s not working so well; the onerous taxation scheme and overweening bureaucracy surrounding implementation of I-502’s brand of legalization has result in pot prices roughly twice to three times those on the street.

Of course, this being Seattle, officials rushed to emphasize that they didn’t intend the roundup to signal the re-ignition of the War On Drugs. Oh, no, sirree! Perish the very thought. There’s only still a War On Weed if you’re poor and unlicensed.

“We can achieve significant public safety gains city-wide by applying focused efforts in small hotspots,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said at a Thursday press conference.

“Although we know we are not going to arrest our way out of the drug addiction problem, this effort demonstrates that focused enforcement matters,” said acting U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes, apparently practicing the fine political art of sending mixed messages.

“I’ve supported ending the War On Drugs for my entire public service career,” City Attorney Holmes claimed, “and I’m pleased to stand with the Mayor, Police Chief, U.S. Attorney, FBI and County Prosecutor in furtherance of that goal,” he said, while doing the opposite.

While undercover officers were able to complete more than 170 buys of marijuana, cocaine, meth, heroin, and other drugs, leading to arrest warrants for more than 180 suspects, just 37 of them face federal drug or weapon charges. Many of the rest are eligible for drug court programs or cop-supervised diversion programs that connect them with housing and substance treatment.

22 Comments

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Michelle Nix
on August 17, 2015 at 7:21 am

cigarettes are legal if your of age, but the cops will still off you for selling them without a license. Eric Gardner? Tobacco seller license fee in CA: 100.00. Yes, no matter what you do, the GOV has to get its cut.

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Dukie
on August 6, 2015 at 4:18 pm

“drug addiction problem” another blatant misuse of the term……

Addiction
noun

1.The state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

The last four words are the most IMPORTANT…… “cessation causes severe trauma” ……..the worst you get from cessation MJ is DRAMA!!!

Brandon
on May 21, 2015 at 9:20 pm

I think you don’t like the word failed. Thanks to initiative 5052 it is illegal for anyone 18-20 to buy medical marijuana

why would anyone in there right mind at this point in the game, with the facilities available to the recreational user, buy weed off some unknown on the street…even in my youth i only bought weed from a respected person. not some no name. Weed is not crack its not alcohol, its not meth its not heroin, its fucking WEED, jesus christ. this country is so fucking up tight. Cops stop being dicks to good people, go and bust those trash bags on the corner peddling that shit they call weed. and leave good citizens to their libations of choice.

jbentzr
on April 24, 2015 at 6:54 am

You are dead wrong.

jbentzr
on April 24, 2015 at 6:53 am

Fuck all poLICE everywhere. Filthy Vermin.

bandit04347
on April 24, 2015 at 5:44 am

Ok, so anyone who lives or has lived in Seattle knows that they weren’t out there to bust people selling weed at 3rd and Pine. That place is full of crack heads, meth, heroin and other drugs, not wed. THey got the weed in a roundup, it wasnt like they were out there looking for it, but rather wrappin up all the south end wanna be thugs who come into town every day to sell crack and other hard drugs at this spot and nearby. They love these areas because the south end buses all stop here and when they think its getting hot they just get on the bus and head back to federal way or tukwilla. This is truth I lived near this corner for ten years watched it every day go on so this article is just a total trash piece. Get the facts straight only fools buying weed of these bangers are cracky idiots or street scum anyways

Michael Loflin
on April 24, 2015 at 5:36 am

It is NOT illegal to buy or sale Moonshine if you have their tax stamps. It’s all about big brother getting his cut.

Brian Keith Smith
on April 23, 2015 at 11:22 pm

The fact that people still have to buy weed in the streets itself is a pretty good indicator that legalization has so far passed us by. When we can grow our own it will be legal. Untill then it is just differently prohibited for profit.

Yes. I consider that Failed Legalization. Thanks for asking! @uncatoddly:disqus

Keith
on April 23, 2015 at 8:02 pm

Playing the game has never changed, if anyone thought that decriminalization was going to lead to any freedom, they were sadly mistaken.

annum004
on April 23, 2015 at 7:51 pm

Any time the State gets involved with taxing any private affair or natural exchange whereas, normally, it would be private rather than public, it becomes a failed system.
In this case, prices would be higher than normal and the State has control and manipulative powers over the people and destroy little privacy that we have.
Now every movement people make has an SIC number attached to it.
Chattel people. 🙁

UncaToddly
on April 23, 2015 at 7:21 pm

This is FAR from “Failed Legalization”. You will ALWAYS have people who sell things outside of the legal structure but that doesn’t make it a failure. It is legal to buy alcohol if you are 21 but it is illegal to buy or sell Moonshine. When they have busts for that do you consider that “Failed Legalization”? You can legally brew your own beer but it is illegal to sell it. Is that “Failed Legalization”? Of course not. Are there issues that need to be resolved regarding I-502? Sure there are. The tax structure needs a serious re-working. The ability to share it needs to be re-worked (technically it is illegal for you to puff, puff, pass). And they need to have strict, hard coded rules for the lab testing. And since they are rolling the medical into it now too, they need to do a good job on making it fair for both. That said, it is far from failed. Flawed, yes, but not even close to failed. And as more and more states legalize and set systems that work, more will get tweaked. For a year into previously uncharted territory that the feds are watching REALLY closely…. I think they are doing an OK job. Not as good of a job on the rollout as Colorado did but then again, Colorado had a MUCH better medical system in place at the time.

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